Restoring the railway connection between Bulgaria and Ukraine could open up new opportunities for freight transport and the expansion of logistics routes across Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. This was the main topic of a meeting between Bulgaria’s caretaker Minister of Transport and Communications, Korman Ismailov, and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Olesya Ilashchuk, the transport ministry said on March 16.
“Bulgarian State Railways is ready to operate freight services between Bulgaria and Ukraine, including transit via Romania,” caretaker Minister Ismailov said. He added that the next steps would be discussed at a forthcoming meeting of deputy ministers from the three countries.
The minister stressed that the transformation of logistics and transport corridors makes cooperation between Bulgaria and Ukraine even more important. According to him, developing new routes will strengthen links between the two regions and enhance the resilience of transport networks across Europe.
“The future of the region lies in its full integration into the European Union. This also applies to Ukraine, which is on its path towards membership,” Ismailov added.
He added that the specific steps will be discussed at a forthcoming meeting of deputy ministers from the three countries.
“The transformation of logistics and transport corridors makes cooperation between Bulgaria and Ukraine even more important,” the minister said, noting that the development of new routes will strengthen ties between the two regions and enhance the resilience of transport across Europe.
The minister added: “The future of the region lies in its full integration into the European Union. This also applies to Ukraine, which is on its path towards membership.”
He pointed out that transport connectivity projects between the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, outlined in the memorandum signed by Bulgaria, Greece and Romania, will strengthen not only regional security but also the resilience of Europe as a whole.
Ambassador Olesya Ilashchuk noted that Ukraine supports the initiative and sees significant potential in it. “Bulgaria’s experience in negotiations with the European Union is very valuable to us. We hope for assistance in preparing to meet the criteria of the accession process,” she said.
Caretaker Minister Ismailov also said that Bulgaria will continue to support Ukraine in improving transport links and developing logistics routes.
In response to numerous reports from Bulgarian transport operators, the minister called for a solution to be found for registering Bulgarian buses in the electronic E-Cherha system when the vehicles are not located on Ukrainian territory.
Since the introduction of the platform in 2024, which allows carriers to book time slots for crossing Ukraine’s border checkpoints, Bulgarian companies say the system’s specific requirements have been hindering passenger transport operations.
Another issue raised during the meeting was the growing number of traffic violations on Bulgarian roads involving Ukrainian vehicles.
For her part, Ambassador Olesya Ilashchuk noted that owners of Ukrainian vehicles have been experiencing difficulties with technical inspections while in Bulgaria.
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